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| This is how I feel about Riding Gear |
Keeping in mind of course that my "winter" is non-ridable here in North Central British Columbia and as such I consider my winter riding gear to be my late Fall & early Spring attire!
Without further adu..ado...ummm...here it is!
Some principles that I stick to that have really helped me to ride in temps hovering around 4 degrees Celcius (this is my riding temperature cut off as otherwise there is too much possible black ice on my commute and I'm riding on the highway) include:
My 5 Principles for Keeping Warm in Cold Weather Riding
1. Block the Wind
2. Wrap up the Neck
3. Layers (especially a kick ass baselayer, as this is one of the key things to do!)
4. Stay Dry
5. Get warm if you can - especially your core!
On that note, there is a plethora of winter riding gear out there. Much of it is contingent on your own personal needs, budget, and of course, body shape & gender.
So here's the gear I use that does a considerably very decent job at nailing the above 5 principles:
1. Rev'It Sand Jacket & Pants (Ladies Version of Course).
- Waterproof, had wind-cutting properties with the waterproof membrane, is multilayered, has a removable liner, looks hot ;)
- Ordered from Dual Sport Plus in Toronto (awesome customer service)
- My Review is HERE.
- So soft, wicks moisture, helps to retain warmth (silk rocks!).
- This keeps my neck warm but I also wear a turtleneck to help as well.
- Ordered from somewhere that I don't remember but any sports store may carry them if you live in a larger center. Bonus for us gals with lots-a hair - helps keep your 'do looking nice.
- Super soft
- Repels odors naturally
- Pricey but lasts forever if you take decent care of it
- Comes in different weights depending on how much warmth you are looking for
- This is a must have on my list
- Bought locally from a sports store (usually can be found in any quality outdoor sports store)
- I used to laugh at riders who wore heated gear....well the laugh was on me!! Seriously this is THE THING to have in cold weather riding. There are various heated options out there - I like this one based on the company's reputation and the outlet site had a great price on it even with the shipping and exchange rate. Definitely better than battery-heated gear.
- Easy to install
- Good bang for the buck if you get it on sale
- This nails one of the key principles for cold weather riding - KEEP YOUR CORE WARM
- Did I say orgasmic already? Because it is! OK maybe not literally but it's da bomb!!
- Ordered directly from Warm and Safe (was way cheaper on outlet site than ordering it from any Canadian supplier).
6. Alpinestars SMX6 WP Ladies Race Boots
- I am a firm believer in good footwear when riding...partly because I still have horrid visions of one of my friend's feet being severely severed in a motorcycle accident. There are warmer riding boots out there for sure but I like these for comfort and protection (I actually keep these on my feet at work all day and they are super comfortable) so I've kept using them even in the cooler weather A pair of wool socks works well for me with these.
- Ordered from FortNine (Canada's Motorcycle)
- These are the WaterProof version (recall the principles to cut out the wind and to stay dry)
. If you aren't interested in heated gloves, heated grips are great as well but you may still get that cold wind hitting the backs of your hand so my vote is heated liners with windblocking/waterproof gloves or the heated gloves.
8. Helmet is important as well. As we all know, some will move way more air in them than others. Mine is a Shoie RF1200 with doesn't move copious amounts of air but still a fair amount...But as it was pricey and it's still pretty new I am sticking with it for now. My advice for anyone who rides in the cold and is in the market for a new helmet is to do your research to ensure you find one that won't be too "drafty" with all the cold wind ;).
So that's it in a nutshell! Hope this is of some us to some of your riders who are in the same boat as I am in terms of having to endure our Cold Canadian Winters and cold Fall & Spring riding seasons!
Below are some of my write ups from my previous gear reviews for some of the products above. I also have other gear reviews posted here.
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Schampa Silkweight Balaclava
Mind you, not any balaclava will do - a nice silkweight one will be the best choice to help to keep those unruly evil frizzies at bay while also helping to reduce the friction & shearing forces that us head-full-of-hair gals face every time we are donning and doffing our full face helmets. And while I do often resort to good ol' braids, the trusty balaclava is useful for taming the tresses even on braid-days.
Added bonus: Perfect for anyone who may be wimpy like me in terms of always being cold (yes, even when its 20C/68F + out).
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This review is based on having used this product for approximately 400 km of highway riding.
Size: Small (ordered based on my measurements & manufacturer sizing chart and I would say it was true to fit for me - arm length also perfect). When standing in an upright position, the jacket seems to "puff out" in the should blade area. I am presuming this is to accommodate the riding position since once the riding position is assumed, the fit is great. There are stretch panels that run along the side of the jacket as well to help with a nice snug fit. As is explained with any heated gear reviews/product info etc, you want the liner quite close to your body so a lightweight garment should be worn under the liner rather than something too thick as otherwise the warmth will not be felt as well/adequately.
The best way I can describe this product is that is borders on being...umm....ok I'm gonna say it...orgasmic. Yes indeed, I am not sure that there is much that can beat the sensation of being enveloped in warmth when cruising along at 100 km/hr + in temps below 12 degrees Celsius (~ 53 F). I have no other words that can adequately do justice to explaining the pure pleasure of this...ok I think you all get the idea now! When the heat cranks up I seriously want to sing for joy lol.
The added bonus to this purchase was that I ordered it directly from Warm & Safe and got a great price on it via the Outlet Clearance. As use of the jacket requires a heat troller to be installed on your bike, I also ordered the "Single Remote Control" heat troller. I was tempted to order the dual version since I do plan on getting the heated gloves as well at some point in time (the gloves can plug directly into the jacket liner via plug ins that come out of the sleeve cuffs) but I decided to cheap out and get the single (which was also on clearance) in the interim since I wasn't sure if this whole "heated gear" thing was for me...if you've read my intro on this jacket I am pretty confident that it most definitely is so in retrospect I am thinking that I do wish I had ordered the dual. The only difference with the dual is that it would afford the option to heat the gloves at a different temperature than the heated jacket so I will see what I think once I take the plunge and get the gloves...I may be quite fine with the single. If not, I will just go ahead and order a dual :).
So why did I go for the 65 watt jacket instead of the 90 watt? Well, to sum it up: 2 reasons. 1) As I already mentioned, I wasn't entirely sure that "heated gear" was for me so this was most certainly a bargain price to try it out first, and 2) My ride is a CBR250 so based on the calculations I could find online, I figured the 65 watt would provide me with more than enough warmth for my riding needs (I am not going to be riding in anything less than 4C/39F and on those colder days, it will only be the commute to work rather than touring around for the ride) without taxing what my ride could afford me in terms of the wattage my 250 could generate. Loosely, it was looking like something along the lines of 340 watts @ 5000 rpms before factoring in headlight, turn signals, brake light usage etc etc, so this would leave about 150 watts (?) for heated gear. Now as I want heated gloves as well (about 20 watts) I felt more comfortable with a bit more "cushion" factor that the 65 watt jacket would offer.
The troller install was a breeze considering I am a total noob when it comes to doing such "electrical" type things. I mounted the remote control using the velcro fastener provided although I may alter/mount it elsewhere. It works ok where it is - not much room on the CBR250 for mounting add-ons. I watched the YouTube Warm & Safe Videos a couple of times and off I went with the successful and painless install.
Seriously, if you ever ride in cooler weather....get one. You will not regret it.
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Rev'It Ladies Sand Jacket & Pants
Size: 36
My Rating: 4.5/5
WOW WOW WOW I really like this jacket a lot!
I wanted a textile fall & spring jacket to help extend my riding season and also so that I wouldn't have to throw my waterproof shell over my leathers when it was raining.
I wear this Jacket in a ton of my Motovlogs...go check me out on my YouTube Channel
I
won't lie...one of the reasons I choose the Rev'it jacket is
because...well...Rev'it ladies gear just looks hot! The cut and the
colors always appeal to me. I actually would have preferred to have this
jacket in the black color, but as I purchased this one for a smokin'
hot good sale price, I sucked it up and went with it. I actually quite
like it although I don't really love the lighter colors for the simple
reason that it requires more cleaning (and thus work and time taken away
from riding!).
REV'IT CHALLENGES IN CANADA: It
is incredibly frustrating to try to find Rev'It Gear to order oniline
here in Canada. Unfortunately trying to order it from the US is next to
impossible unless you can have it shipped to someone in the US who can
then ship it to you to get it over the border. Most places that sell it
online in Canada either are in serious need of an updated website (as
they rarely list any of the gear) or they have very limited stock/are
lacking in providing the full gear line-up. So it is disappointing. I
have asked one of the main on-line motorcycle gear suppliers here in
Canada if they plan to start carrying it and could not receive a
definitive answer which is really unfortunate. Not all of us live in
Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, etc so getting to a local dealer is not
easily done. Shame. So sadly this is one thing that will likely dissuade
me from purchasing any more Rev'It Gear (I do REALLY want the Xena
Jacket & Trousers tho....drool!!!!!!).
The
following gear review is based on having worn this gear for approx 2000
km of in town and highway riding in a variety of riding conditions
including heavy rain, temps of around 4 Celcius, humid, and relatively
warm (17 Celcius).
SIZING: Spot on per the sizing chart. When I ordered this online (Huge kudos and shout out to Dual Sport Plus
in Toronto for their fantastic customer service and very positive
online ordering experience [I actually ordered via the phone after
viewing their website]!!). The service rep warned me that Rev'it gear
tends to fit on the smaller size. I found that even with following the
sizing chart, the jacket fit spot on (with a bit of room to spare as
well). The pants indeed did fit on the smaller side but hey, that's why I
have a treadmill and stay active in the great outdoors lol. Seriously
though, I would suggest you do in fact order a size up for the pants if
you don't enjoy your gear fitting on the very snug side of things.
OVERVIEW:
I am really quite pleased with this gear. I would say that one of the
biggest positives of this gear line up is
how flexible it is for a variety of riding conditions, in part thanks to
the removable liner and waterproof membrane. At full price I do think
it it indeed on the more expensive side so I'm not so sure I would
purchase it unless it was on sale. However, I am a gear junkie and
sometimes that addiction is just too overwhelming to wait for a sale
;).
Quality
is very nice. All the seams and zippers are sturdy and have taken a
good amount of abuse over this past riding season from yours truly. I
spilled coffee along the front of the jacket and was able to wash it out
without any trouble.
I am not going to go into the specific details of the jacket since you can get that info from the manufacturer
in a much better explanation. What I will say is that I do think the
product delivers what it promises to do. Ido have a few issues with a
couple minor things.
I
wish the sleeves were a big longer in length but as I wear longer
gauntlet gloves, it really isn't too much of an issue. The mandarin
collar can feel a bit constricted when wearing my balaclava coupled with
a turtleneck and my Warm and Safe Heated Jacket Liner. I actually
remove the Rev'it Sand liner and use my heated plug-in liner in lieu of
the stock liner for those extra cold riding days (temps around 4 -16
degrees celcius). When people say a riding jacket is 4 seasons, I do
keep in mind that OUR winter season here in North Central British
Columbia isn't exactly "ridable" weather with all the feet of snow, ice,
and temps extending to -30 celcius :). This jacket did serve me well
for late Fall and I found myself very comfortable riding in 4 degree
Celcius weather at highway speeds of 110 km/hr (with the heated liner).
Keep in mind I despise the cold and am quite happy to wear a full set of
non-perforated leeather in temps well above 20 degrees celcius, so I
think this speaks volumes ;).
I
remained dry under the outer shell of the jacket and pants in pretty
extreme rain. The shell of the jacket itself gets super saturated as it
is not a gortex shell but rather the waterproof membrane lies right
under the out shell. So keeping that in mind, the jacket definitely
needs some dry-time after it has gotten soaked. Sometime that might be a
bit of a downer for me if I was using this as a road trip jacket rather
than just a commuting one. I mean, for the most part, it's pretty tough
to beat a true gortex impregnated outer shell but you are going to pay a
hefty price for that so it's a toss up for sure.
When
(and if) the weather warms up, the inner liner can be removed from both
the pants and the jacket very easily. When the liners are in place,
they stay in place well even when putting the jacket on and taking it
off, so this is always a bonus. Keep in mind you will need a place to
stash the liners as they obviously won't fit in any of the pockets of
the jacket or pants. I throw mine in my Kriega US-20 tailback (which I
LOVE).
Speaking
of pockets, the jacket has a generous amount of pockets. The one that
runs along the back puffs out a bit more than I would like, which takes
away from the "shape-forming" that I love so much about Rev'it. It has a
super great amount of room in it however to store things like a small
wallet, mobile phone, etc. The smaller side pockets are also roomy
enough in comparison to what I am used to with my leathers. Those of you
who have worn other textile adventure gear may find the side pockets on
this to be a bit small but then again, you may be perfectly content
with them depending on how many things you like your pockets for. I tend
to use my tailbag more so it's a non-issue for me.
All the zips stay zipped; the snaps stay snapped!
As
for the pants fit, I find Rev'it fits me pretty well, although I would
say it fits more like the Dainese-type fit (better for those who have
less hips/booty). All in all, out of Rev'it, Dainese, and Alpinestars, I
find that the A* pants actually fit my body type the best (small waist,
more "generous" booty lol). This is not to say the fit is poor - the
pants actually do fit nice enough walking around and/or in the riding
position with and without the connector zip. If you are smaller waisted
with a hip to waist ratio that is not spot on, order the large size as
you can use the side cinches to get the waist tucked in a bit more.
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Alpinestars Stella S-MX 6 Waterproof Women's Boots
This review is based on use of these boots after having done approx 5000 kms of city and hwy riding.
Size: 39 (Foot length 9.75", narrow foot)
FIT:
Awesome fit for my feet! I used the sizing guide and they fit spot on with a
set of gel inserts. I
have a pretty narrow foot (particularly in the heel area) and often
have a difficult time finding footwear that works so I couldn't be
happier having purchased these! I wanted to include my thoughts on
fitment since this can be so challenging (and frustrating!!) when
ordering online.
FUNCTION
& COMFORT: I wanted a boot that I
could wear for a few hours at a time (at a minimum) off bike as well and
these fit the bill. I have worn these at work standing/walking around
for over 3 hrs and they are really quite comfy. Perhaps the gel inserts I
use help with keeping them comfy. Riding is fabulous with these
as well - no issues in terms of the pegs/shifter/brakes and the heel
height and reinforced toe is just right. For a boot that offers such
decent CE protection, it is very comfortable and offers better than
expected flexibility where needed. The sole seems to work well for
traction on pavement that is wet and/or a bit slippery. Would like a
little more grip for looser surfaces (eg some loose gravel).
ZIPPERS/VELCRO/COVERAGE:
Good quality zippers & velcro adjustment. Pretty easy on/off and
everything stays put as it should. A bit more cumbersome to put on than I
would like but understandable for the style of boot.
WET
RIDING: I have worn these in very wet riding conditions and in temps of
about 4 degrees C. My feet have remained DRY although when its colder
out (4 C) my toes do get a bit cool. Wearing a nice wool sock has
helped.
